JBP Styling & Care

Bjorn Bjorholm & Yannick Kiggen

SBBK Oct 2024 Meeting

Trees were from Ed Clark at Round Valley nursery, ground grown. Both trees had good movement, very healthy, one had better nebari.

  • Bonsai is nice if it wraps around its axis (formal)

  • For a front, Bjorn might find it undesirable to start the trunk moving towards the front, with a pigeon breasted trunk, but consider all factors—strengths or weaknesses.  Base, nebari, movement, primar branches, and apex.

  • Cut branches that are too straight (80% of the original) and hope that back budding will drive smaller branches internally.

  • Cut back any heavy branches that are not intended in the final style.  May choose to Jin or prune off; may choose to leave a longer branch to back bud, then prune lower. 

  • Leave smaller branches that can move with wiring.

  • If a lower branch is desired to grow bigger over time, leaving a sacrifice branch—and thin old needles off and let the candle extend.

  • Miyugi style for balance: trunk slants and the next section moves away at ½ the prior section length, and repeat up to the apex.

  • Being younger plants, when you prune and bend branches it will stimulate back budding—and allowing light inside will feed the solar panels (foliage).

  • Can fertilize lightly this fall, but fully fertilize next spring.

  • Late spring, early summer will result in adventitious buds—will become candles the next year.

  • Terminal shoots (ends) that are too strong may be decandled.  Or let weaker branches may grow longer to bulk up.

  • Or after a strong spring growth may prune off all terminal buds and will drive back buds everywhere. Can cut way back on outer growth (even below needles) and force back budding. 98% confident.

  • Decandling yields 4-5 buds, later select down to 2

  • Recommend to pot in a colander in akadama & pumice. Put into a transition or final pot after the next 5 years.

  • JBK naturally grow in humid climate in Japan, so larger particle size soil needs more water and fertilizing.

  • Leave copper wires until bites in.

  • Bjorn starts to work on pines in Sept, when it starts to cool.  Can still style in late Oct, but less likely to back bud this fall.

  • Recommends 18 to 8 copper wire gage

  • Yannick suggests to remediate inverse taper—a vertical cut on the trunk can stimulate cambium thickening—but the knife line would show. He suggest using an awl point repeatedly along a line to hide but stimulate.

Development

  • Early - working on primary trunk or primary branches, adding girth— high nitrogen (above 10 value) Osmacoat Plus, inorganic 

  • Mid - primary structure set up, and developing refined branches.  Slow down fertilizer (below 10), easily with organic (BioGold).

  • Through all phases applies micro-nutrients with liquid fertilizer: GS Plant Food or Fish or Kelp, during the growing season every two weeks.  Low nitrogen.

Michael Wei